The Fabric of Hope
by Lezg33k
Summary: Just a genderbent ReyLo Fan fic. I wrote this for my friends and have limited knowledge of the Star Wars universe. If that's not your thing then please move on to any of the other wonderful Star Wars fics on this site.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is incredibly off-canon in the sense that Kylo Ren is a woman. I was asked to write a ReyLo fic for my friends and I just don't like writing hetero fics. If this, or my limited amount of knowledge regarding the Star Wars universe bothers you, you may wish to read any number of the other wonderful fics out there. Thank you.

The Fabric of Hope

Chapter 1

Elation.

That was what Kylo Ren felt as she stared out into the cold cosmos from the safety of her private quarters aboard the Imperial-Class Star Destroyer, days after her battle with Luke Skywalker. And she felt it for all the wrong reasons. Her mind kept going back to the moment she ordered all of her fighters to take out the Millenium Falcon; knowing Rey was on board. It was her pride that called for the attack that was all for naught in the end. The push failed and Rey survived.

She should have felt rage, frustration, even shame. But she didn't.

Part of her wondered if it was their connection that fortified the feelings between them but, in a more practical frame of mind, she knew that whatever was between them went deeper than the pull of the force. It was the stuff of mindless peasants, roaming about their workaday lives raising livestock or selling goods as they looked for some kind of romanticized meaning for their existence. How in the universe was it possible that she was affected by something so pedestrian and simple?

She was The Supreme Leader. Her path had led her to the most powerful position in the known universe yet, there it was, staring back at her with mocking in the glimmer of its gaze.

It was that touch that had done her in. She'd been fine before that.

It solidified a need within her that she didn't realize existed. Kylo Ren wished to be understood. She wished to be seen for the scared girl she was when at the mercy of the most powerful Jedi in existence. Luke Skywalker was her mentor, her hero and her family and, after he tried to kill her, she'd lost all of those things. Her path to the dark side was illuminated by the green glow of his weapon.

Rey saw that. She'd believed her. Believed in her even.

Then, that small, soft touch of acceptance bridged a gap between them that even her father couldn't build. Ren wanted so badly to sustain that connection. To march into the future with Rey at her side. Together they could work wonders the likes of which no one had ever seen. To Ren, that connection felt like warmth in the cold. So, powerful it could combat even the sharpest chill. Yet, it stood no chance against the sting of rejection and rage that built from it.

Her demeanor had turned on a dime in Snoke's throne room. She watched the pain in Rey's eyes as she recounted the worth her parents placed upon her when selling her to serve their own addictions. She pursued her, attacked her and demanded her demise. She'd taken out those rebel ships without a second thought. And Rey hated her for it. She could feel that just as much as she could the garments that hugged her body; cloaking her in the girl's rage.

"Forgive me, Supreme Leader, but you asked to be notified if another transmission was detected," the timid voice called over the intercom in her room.

"Patch it through to my quarters," she said and turned to face the screen that came to life with the sharp features of the exact person she couldn't dispel from her thoughts.

"...and I'm here to tell you that The Resistance is ready for the fight ahead," Rey said from her seat aboard the Falcon. "We may be small but we are mighty. And we're growing. The First Order would like for you to think that there is no chance to fight back but that's exactly what we've done at every turn. They tried to stoke your fear with their Starkiller but the Resistance took it down. They tried to destroy our forces by hunting us down like dogs yet we have survived to fight another day. Kylo Ren tried to destroy Luke Skywalker in a battle to the death but her hubris only led to the failure of her most important mission."

"Now, that's not very nice," Ren stated calmly, arms crossed as she continued to watch the third recruitment video of the week. Rey's words, enthusiasm, and gaze were starting to show fatigue at the constant barrage of positivity in the face of the insurmountable odds she truly faced. "But I suppose it's nice to see a little fire in your eyes amidst the bland messaging mother is forcing you to schill out."

"The force is with us," she assured the viewer with a sense of sincerity that she had no right to. "May it be with you as well. Stand up for what you believe in. Come together and amass your strength when the time comes to fight. The hope of thwarting our enemy lives on until the last of us falls. Join The Resistance!"

A small, overly adorable creature entered the frame only to be accompanied by the Jedi's most trite sign-off yet.

"We have Porgs," she stated with a smile so artificially sweet it could only have been created in a lab.

A short, low huff of a laugh escaped her lips as the screen went dark.

"You should have stayed with me, little Jedi," Ren said to the emptiness of the room. "Even I have too much of a conscience to torture you so reprehensibly."

"We have Porgs?" Rey whispered to herself with disgust as she stepped away from the camera and out of the recording room. "How could I possibly have allowed her to talk me into this?"

"I'm actually quite baffled myself," the strained tones of a strong woman answered her without request. "I thought for sure you'd drop that last line but it lended a wonderful sense of fun to your send-off."

"General Organa," Rey greeted, somewhat surprised at Leia's sudden visit to the Falcon. "I hadn't heard you'd arrived aboard."

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt your newest broadcast," the General replied with a wink.

"Newest and last," Rey corrected as she started to walk through the halls of the ship, toward her war room. "I fear I can no longer muster up the stomach to canvas for recruits. I sell it worse and worse every time. I'm a fighter, not a mouthpiece. I don't have the countenance for lines like 'Join The Resistance, We have Porgs'."

"Sweetheart, before I was a General I was a Princess," Leia countered. "I've put in my time serving up pleasantries and I could bury you under a mountain of Porgs. We do what we have to do to fight the good fight. And, right now, what you need to do is give people a voice to believe in."

"And I've done that for nearly a week now," Rey replied, staunch in her stance. "Wouldn't the voice of the resistance sound louder if there were more actions to back up my claims? Right now I'm a Jedi without a lightsaber and a soldier with only two major battles under my belt. I need to be out there fighting alongside the people, not in here soliciting them."

"And if we lose you?" Organa asked, placing a hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "What then? You just said yourself that you'd only been in two battles. What happens if you're killed on the third and all hope is lost? Do you think I don't know you've got your sights set on Kylo Ren?"

"I survived her twice and my connection to the force is only growing stronger," she said, resting her hands on the table with the galaxy map and allowing her eyes to roam over it. "With enough practice and a little luck I can best her but I can't do that without a lightsaber."

"I'm assuming that's what all these flags on your map are for?" Organa replied, looking at the map as well.

"According to the last known rumors, yes," Rey answered. "Wouldn't your legendary Jedi be more convincing wielding the signature weapon of the discipline?"

"Rey-"

"This isn't me, General," she argued, standing up straight and folding her arms over her chest. "Poe is more charismatic and Finn is more of a people person. If you want to inspire people into your ranks, use your talent wisely."

A long sigh and a dip of the shoulders told Rey she'd won her argument. Leia shook her head and smiled weakly as she acquiesced to the Jedi's request.

"Most people probably think that losing people gets easier the more you're exposed to it but it doesn't," Organa said. "It makes you hold on tighter to the people you still have in your life. Maybe a little too tight."

Rey's response was an understanding nod. She knew that losing both Han and Luke had taken a toll on the General; one that would have sent most people to their knees. But Leia was a strong woman. Of all the rebels Rey'd encountered, it was Leia who seemed most of all to be made of steel.

"Go get your lightsaber," she commanded with a firm nod. "If I can't stop you from facing Ren then I can at least see that you're as prepared as possible. I'll add a few more pins to your map. I might have heard some rumblings over the last few years."

"Thank you, General," Rey replied with that small, signature smile that kept her lips close together while tugging lightly at her cheeks. She thought for a moment about the relationship between the General and The Supreme Leader. How it must be terribly hard for Leia's greatest enemy to be the daughter she once nurtured into existence. "May I ask you a question? About Kylo Ren, that is."

"I suppose you've earned the right more than anyone," Leia answered, sadness tinting her features.

"She's your daughter," Rey started, trying to be as delicate as possible. "With everything she's done, all the lives she's taken, do you still see her that way? Is there a part of you that would spare her life were it your hands right now?"

Leia swallowed thickly as she contemplated her answer to the question.

"As General Organa, I am bound to neutralize the enemies of the New Republic," she explained before her eyes finally met Rey's. "As a mother, I could never harm my child. That is a burden for someone else to bear."

Rey nodded and dropped her gaze as she thought about her own capabilities regarding the possibilities of that moment. Leia must have sensed her dilemma because she reached out to take her hand.

"Whatever happens, Rey, I have faith you'll do what is right," she said before giving the hand one final squeeze and pulling away to take her leave. "And don't underestimate those Porgs! They're going to be huge for recruitment."

"Stupid Porgs."

The voice came attached to a vision of Rey smiling softly and shaking her head. Though Ren's lips twitched in an effort to mimic the expression, she kept her features neutral during her response.

"Yes, I echo the sentiment," she said, lacing her fingers together before her as Rey turned swiftly to lock eyes. "Tell me, is The Resistance working tirelessly on little stuffed toys to hand out amongst the rabble in support of your requests or is everyone too busy trying to find this year's most popular Ewok to really sell the message?"

"Get out of my head," Rey nearly spat as she turned her back; as was their new routine during almost daily connections.

"You know it doesn't work that way," Ren countered, voice low and velvety.

"I wish it did," Rey spoke through gritted teeth and turned off the map in front of her. "I'd rather be connected to the inside of Chewbacca's toilet than receive these surprise visits from you."

"I know," Ren said smugly. "I'd wager I could feel your hatred all the way on the other side of the universe. Not a very becoming emotion for a Jedi, you know. That's more prevalent on my side of the force."

"Well, I don't exactly have someone to teach me the ways of the Jedi now, so I suppose I'll just have to make up the rules as I go along," she replied, turning. "The disdain for you, I think I'll keep."

"It's a weakness, you know," Ren said, taking one step closer. "Sure, anger makes for great fuel in the heat of battle but it can also take over and burn down all of your plans. Take our last encounter, for example. I was so angry with you that I sent all of my fighters after your Falcon. Had I maintained my calm, and stayed the course, you'd be mourning far more of your comrades and making fewer jokes about Porgs."

"And why exactly were you so very angry with me, _Ben_?" Rey used the given name on purpose as she too took a step forward. "If you were even remotely the cold, calculated killer Snoke was you would have never offered up the partnership between the two of us that led to the rejection that sent you into a tailspin. You ache so much for companionship and understanding that, like my rage, I could feel your loneliness from across the universe."

Ren's jaw clenched at the accusation. It wasn't as if she could deny it. Her actions had all but proved the Jedi's point. She turned that shame to rage as much as she could and tried to recover control of the conversation.

"Remember this moment, Jedi," she said in a calm and measured tone, belying Rey's name just as Rey belied hers. "Remember how sure you are of that statement. You're going to pray for that assurance when you are finally within my grasp."

"I'm sure we'll see how true that boast is after you beg me once more to be your friend," Rey countered, her chin jutting out ever so slightly in heated defiance. "I would imagine rejection stings even more the second time around."

The connection started to fade before Ren could respond and she was somewhat thankful for that small favor. Instead of focusing so much on what she might have said, she tuned into the frustration in Rey's voice. The Jedi was getting tired of playing puppet for The Resistance. She'd soon be on the move and, once her trail started, it would only be a matter of time before Ren picked up the scent.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Things had been as quiet as the deepest, darkest depths of space over the past week. There hadn't been a peep from Rey in those insufferable recruitment broadcasts. They'd obviously been taken over by her comrades in arms. The roguish pilot and the former Stormtrooper. Even Kylo Ren's own mother had lent her voice to the cause. So, what had happened to the makeshift Jedi?

Due to their connection, Ren had seen her here and there; small glimpses into random moments but nothing to betray her whereabouts or her current mission. There was a nagging feeling creeping up her neck that Rey was up to something important but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what that could be.

The First Order had been quiet as well. They had to be. Politically, it was the right move to allow the dust to settle after their overwhelming defeat of The Resistance. People needed to believe that the rebels were the problem. That their lives would go on unchanged, and in some cases become even better, if the interlopers weren't there at all. They needed boring work days, gluttonous dinners and restful nights filled with the promise of more to come. There was sovereignty in the mundane. So, while the rebels were wailing about the dangers of their enemies, the people were looking around asking 'what dangers?'.

Ren understood the power in the empty space between. The Force had taught her that.

What it hadn't quite taught her was how to deal with the little trader from Jakku who had the audacity to survive against all odds and thwart her every move. Perhaps Rey was so elusive because she wasn't meant for the path she'd stumbled upon. Her greatest strength was a different perspective. If only Kylo could see peer into that vantage point.

Then, as if the universe had heard her ponderings, a spyglass appeared.

* * *

"Stupid, lousy, revolting Globlords!" Rey lamented as she stepped back aboard the ship, dripping sticky, oozy, smelly, purple goo. "I am _never_ coming back to this wretched planet again!"

The displeasingly melodic sound of Chewbacca's chastising immediately reached her ears as she took in the annoyed look from her crewmate.

"Don't even start with me, Chewie," she said, pointing a finger a the Wookie. "I'll clean up every drop from your precious ship but first I have to clean up myself now, don't I?"

Another reply, this one less caustic, filled the air and was met with nothing but an overly stiff exit by the goo-covered hero.

"Take us up out of the atmosphere," she ordered before taking off her shoes near the loading bay. "I can't even look at this place anymore."

Her private quarters were a welcome reprieve from the mess she'd just tracked through on her second hunt for a working lightsaber. Subterrel had been a bust and, where she'd hoped to find her majestic boon, she'd found a only pack of Globlords, pig-sized creatures living in a cave, protecting… well, whatever it was they deemed worthy enough to be food. They'd pounced right away and doused her with their surprisingly effective mucus, slowing her movements and leaving her open to their next signature move: ramming their enemy with their heads. It took a whole ten minutes before they'd all knocked themselves unconscious and she was free to go with slow, slimy steps back to the ship.

The reflection in the mirror aptly portrayed her disdain for her current state of existence and only further dampened her mood. Moments like that weighed heavily on the lone hero. They made her feel more and more disconnected from the reassuring camaraderie of The Resistance. They amplified those manipulative words Kylo Ren had tried to use to manipulate her back at Snoke's throne room. They made her doubt herself and her path.

Shaking her head, she also tried to shake off the pull of those thoughts. She was just lonely, smelly and covered in goo. That was all. She couldn't take Finn along on her journey because, as much as he wanted to be at her side, an ex-Stormtrooper was invaluable to the Rebels. And, even though he'd tried twice to sneak aboard the Falcon, Rey knew he was of better use with Leia. If only reason could stave off loneliness.

With a sigh, she pulled her sticky hair out of its normal arrangement and started working on removing her belt and cowl. She was nearly completely undressed before she felt it… her connection to Kylo Ren.

"Well…" the surprised, and, of course, completely dressed, villain casually stated; the whisper of a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Damn it!" Rey swore, hugging her filthy garments against the front of her body before addressing an obviously cruel and amused universe. "Why? Why does this have to happen right now?"

"Courting Globlords for the ranks of The Resistance, Jedi?" Ren mocked before calling back Rey's own words against her. "Oh, how the 'small but mighty' have fallen."

"Don't be so shocked," Rey countered. "I would imagine you know a great deal about working with scum. Slime becomes you. Now, turn around and stay that way!"

Surprisingly, that was exactly what Ren did. Turning slowly, she allowed Rey her privacy… and whatever dignity she could have mustered in the moment. She'd nearly thanked her for the kindness but then remembered she was a terrible, mass murdering psychopath and thought better of it.

"Something must be forcing these connections," she said, slowly lowering her clothes to the floor and quickly hopping into the shower and turning it on. "Snoke isn't here to bridge the gap anymore but there has got to be a trigger of some sort that causes them."

Ren was silent for a few seconds longer than Rey would have expected but a quick peek showed that her back was still turned so the delay in response obviously wasn't due to anything she was seeing.

"What do you think causes it?" she finally asked, entertaining the conversation.

Rey thought for a moment and noted that she'd been heavily focused on The Supreme Leader just before she'd appeared. And she'd also felt… well, lonely.

"I have no idea," she half-lied and started to clean off the sludge. "What do you think causes it?"

"Longing."

The reply was clinical and immediate, causing Rey to slip within the shower and grip the wall to right herself. How could someone say a word with so much emotion behind it in such a matter-of-fact way?

"Longing?" she questioned.

"Yes," Ren answered. "A great deal of the times we've bridged the gap on this connection, I was thinking of you. It's no secret I long for you to join me. I made that clear and you now mock me for it. I would imagine that longing plays at least some part in how we reach out to each other. The interesting component of that theory is that, sometimes, you appear when I'm not thinking of you. The other day, for instance, when I caught you stuffing your face with whatever your Wookie is feeding you, my mind had been occupied with other matters. What exactly had you been thinking of in that moment?"

Rey's teeth gently bit her lower lip. She'd been thinking about what it might be like to share a meal with Ren. For so much of her life, she'd eaten alone. Quiet, lonely moments spent with instant food that always tasted slightly off. Chewbacca, chatty as he was, didn't always make for the greatest dinner partner. Rey had been thinking of what it might be like if she were just an adventurer and Ren were just a soldier… what it might be like to simply eat in each other's presence.

"Wookies," she lied once more. "So, your theory must be off."

"Perhaps," was the only response.

Turning off the water, she exited the shower and noted that she was still facing Ren's back… and her backside. She wasn't wearing her normal cloak and the absence of the garment offered a more pleasing view. One Rey looked away from immediately before wrapping a robe around her small frame and tying it off.

"Why is it that you respect my request for privacy but not my plea to spare my people?" Rey asked, jaw clenching as she stepped closer. "How can you raise your lightsaber against my body and then acquiesce to a demand to spare my feelings?"

"I wish I knew," came the answer after yet another pause.

"Turn around," the Jedi ordered, both confidence and defiance growing inside her.

And, once the second demand was followed, Rey looked deep into the dark depths of Ren's eyes, trying to figure her out to no avail.

"If you'd bested me that same day you killed Snoke, how would you have felt?" Rey asked.

"Like I destroyed something beautiful," Ren answered, swallowing thickly

Rey felt the trickle of water slide down her hair and onto her neck, making her very aware of her body and her proximity to Ren. And just how much one was affected by the other.

"I will never join you," she said, somehow more to herself than to her intruder.

"And I will never stop wanting you to," Ren replied, unflinching in her truth. "This is where we exist now; immovable until the moment of your capture. So, I suppose to answer your previous question, while we do exist here, I would never impose myself upon you… if you didn't wish it."

"I…"

She tried to speak but had no words. The electricity in the room was palpable as they stared on, both, well, longing.

And, once the dark specter faded from view, Rey held herself up by the sturdiness of the nearby sink. What in the world was she going to do with all of that information?

* * *

A shaky breath passed through full lips as the connection was broken and Kylo Ren found herself, once more, alone in her chambers. What a cruel joke it all was; desperately wanting the one person you must destroy. The circumstance held all the wonder and cruelty of the Force itself. Best not to think about it too long. Resisting the urges that propelled her forward on her path to the Darkside would only weaken her in the future.

"Hux," she stated with purpose so the com system would hear her.

"Yes Supreme Leader," he answered, sniveling as always.

"Set a course for the outer rim, near Subterrel," she ordered. "I have a hunch on where we might find our slippery little Jedi."

"Yes, my lord," Hux answered.

Subterrel was the only place Ren knew of that had sheltered hiding Jedi while, at the same time, hosted a climate for Globlords. The trail had finally revealed itself. Onward they would go.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hopping from one planet to another, only to come up short, was beginning to wear on Rey's nerves. Her furry companion kept rattling off some old adage about stopping to smell the wildlife but she wasn't about to bring her nose anywhere near something that could bite it off. That wasn't Chewbacca's point initially though and, Rey had to admit, she wasn't exactly fluent in Wookie. Nevertheless, she didn't have the time to take out of her mission to take in the wondrous details of each and every fascinating new world.

If only she'd listened to his nature focused insight, she might not have found herself dangling from a cliff over a bank of dark rocks near a green sea's edge.

"Convenient that the Wookie loves to pour out his sage advice on the Falcon yet is nowhere to be seen when actual help is needed," she grunted to no one but herself as she tried desperately to get a foothold on the cliff which only resulted in her hands slipping further down the vine she was clinging to for dear life. "I really must start insisting he at least tag along on some of these excursions."

Her arms strained and eyes widened as she looked down at a looming vision of death below. She wondered if she'd feel anything when she hit the ground. If, of all the ways she might meet her demise, this one might actually be the least objectionable.

But there wasn't a least objectionable, was there? Not when the fate of billions rested partially on her shoulders.

"You can do this," she said to herself as she tried to pull herself up with the strength of her arms alone.

Perhaps if she hadn't been climbing for over an hour that morning, not to mention that she'd cut her hands on the thorns of the vine she grabbed when the stampede of... whatever those furry things were forced her over the edge of the cliff. Sure she was lucky enough to grab the vine and not drop right away but now she was saddled with a situation that was becoming increasingly more painful and slippery.

"Come on!" she yelled at herself angrily. "You've survived so much more than this on your own! You fed yourself on Jakku, you brought back Luke Skywalker, you escaped Kylo Ren... twice. Climb the damn vine, Rey!"

Trying once more, she gripped the vine as hard as she could with her left hand as she tried to pull her right up higher. It didn't work. And all she'd accomplished was slipping even closer to the vine's end. It was then that the tears started to fall and fear began to creep into her bones.

She was going to die there. At the bottom of a cliff on a deserted planet with the future of the galaxy hanging from a thread far more thin than the one from which she dangled.

And of course, Ren would see it. Rey could feel her even before she could see her standing there on one of the rocks below.

The odd part was, she didn't know if she was angry that her greatest enemy would witness her demise or if she was relieved that at least it wouldn't feel like she was dying alone.

* * *

Kylo had been practicing sword drills with five of her best warriors. Working up a sweat that caused her to tame her short hair, as much as she could, with a tie at the back of her head. If her suspicions were correct, that troublesome trader turned Jedi was looking for a new lightsaber and, if they were to fight it out again, Ren could not afford to be bested for a third time.

Rey was a poor girl from a forgettable planet. It was embarrassing enough she'd escaped twice before, Ren would leave no room for that possibility on their next encounter.

It was while she entertained that thought that she heard a scream of pain and futility that did not come from one of her sparring partners. It came from above. Rey's form dangled from the ceiling of the training room, visible only to the woman who shared their connection. She was in quite the predicament and it looked too dire to wait until the exercise was complete.

"Leave me," she said, after a quick burst of the force sent each of her faux foes flying to the ground around her. She needn't repeat herself and grabbed a towel to wipe at her damp face until she was alone and able to address the Jedi in private.

"I'd try to think up some clever quip about you dropping in on me but I fear we don't have that kind of time," she said, her tone portraying a bored sense of annoyance that betrayed the true worry within herself that she was trying to suppress. "How long have you been like that?"

"Long enough to know that I'm not going to waste my last few breaths on you," Rey grunted out, her features and her tone far more tired that Ren had ever noticed from her.

"Where are you?" Ren asked, expectedly not receiving an answer. "If you don't answer me you're going to meet your untimely demise at the bottom of whatever is causing that fear to grow in your eyes."

"And why would that possibly concern you?" Rey asked, trying to gather up the last of her strength to make the climb once more.

"Because if you die by your own negligence on some remote planet then it deprives me of my right to claim the honor of killing the last Jedi," she answered, halfway truthfully. "You're not going to take that from me. Not if I can help it. Now, tell me where you are."

The demand fell on deaf ears as Rey continued to struggle against whatever it was holding her up. Each time her weight slipped she seemed to drop lower. She was slipping… but so was her lifeline.

"You're holding onto a vine, aren't you?"

Again, the question was not met with an answer but the pause in the dangling body gave Ren reason to believe she was right.

"It's purple isn't?" she asked, receiving more recognition. "With small thorns here and there? It's cutting into your hands and that's why you keep slipping, right?"

"Yes!" Rey screamed in frustration as she looked down, pain and fear mixed with the anger that seemed to course through her veins. "Yes, I'm hurt and I'm slipping down this stupid purple vine. Let me do that in peace, you relentless monster!"

The word stung far more than it should have but she'd given Rey no reason to think that she wasn't enjoying her plight.

"A monster I may be," she agreed with a quirk of her head before continuing. "But I'm a monster with an extensive knowledge of outer rim plant life and I'd bet my life that you're hanging onto cordon vine. And cordon vine stretches when pressure is applied."

Rey had apparently gone back to the silent treatment as she decided whether or not to believe the voice from below. But there was no time to waste hoping she'd come around.

"Rey, listen to me," Ren said, forcefully. "It's going to hurt but you need to struggle against the vine. Jolt your body down. Swing on it. The more you work on it, the weaker it gets. The vine will stretch and you'll have a shorter fall if you just do as I say."

"And if you figure out you're right you'll send your ship right out to find me," she struggled to reply.

"Trust me, I'm going to do that anyway, little Jedi," Ren replied, her voice becoming more and more heated. "Don't you want to be there to put up one last fight?"

A few tense seconds of silence filled the air, followed by a grunt of determination as Rey did as instructed. Yelps and grunts of pain ripped from her mouth as she pushed through the pain and pulled down the vine. It was an excruciatingly slow process but she kept at it and soon she was drawing nearer and nearer to where Ren stood below her.

"That's it," the Supreme Leader whispered to herself as she waited for her enemy to reach safety.

But it would take more than Rey's determination to get her to the bottom. There was at least another 30 feet between her and what lied beneath, and her slick, injured hands just couldn't keep hold. She lost grip of the vine as a cry ripped from her throat. Fear gripped at Kylo's heart as she witnessed the fall and, on instinct, raised her hands and harnessed the power of The Force to break Rey's fall.

It worked.

Even over thousands of miles of space, their connection was strong enough to hold onto the awesome power of The Force.

They were both in shock. Slack-jawed and wide-eyed. It was Ren who forced herself to sober first. Unsure of how much longer the connection would last, she slowly lowered Rey into her arms. It was intentional, unnecessary, and, like everything that existed between them, completely problematic. She could feel the warm, wet blood covering the Jedi's hands take purchase on her shoulders as they both looked at other confused as to how they found themselves in their current position.

"You used the force on me," Rey accused with a conflicted expression on her face.

"It would appear so," Ren confirmed, knowing now that this changed everything.

They could no longer pretend their little talks were just that; talks. They both knew things could get physical, they'd figured that out before. But the realization that the connection would support The Force meant that there were precious few reasons for Ren, or Rey, to avoid using it against each other.

"Why aren't you using it against me now?" Rey asked, looking as if she were afraid of any answer she might receive.

"The same reason you're not using it against me," she answered, knowing full well the hands at her shoulders could easily reach up around her neck. Strong arms slowly lowered their burden to her feet as Rey pulled her hands away but did not retreat. "Have you managed to put a name to it?"

"No," she said thoughtfully, studying the dark eyes before her. "And I'm not sure it matters. You're still going to hunt me."

"You always seem to be able to stoke the fires of The Dark Side in me yet you also always manage to escape my grasp," Ren responded thoughtfully. "I'm starting to wonder who exactly is predator and who is prey. Perhaps I bring out The Dark Side in you too."

"You've gone mad if you think I'm the villain in this story," Rey replied with a huff of disbelief as she pressed two fingers against Ren's chest. "You have oceans of blood on your hands. The blood of innocent people."

Reaching up slowly, she pulled the soiled fingers away from her chest and turned the palm to face its owner.

"And you're killing yourself to try and find a way to destroy me," she pointed out, noting the quickening of breath as Rey took in the sight. "How long before the well-intentioned orphan is overtaken by the self-righteous Jedi? And how long before that Jedi calls on the power of a different side of The Force to accomplish her task? It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Trust me, I know your story all too well."

"No," Rey said, shaking her head and pulling her hand free. "I know who I am. I will succeed where you have failed."

A brief silence hung between them as Ren took in a deeper meaning of the words.

"That may be truer than even you know," she replied, feeling the connection starting to weaken. "I'll see you soon, Jedi."

Within seconds the connection was lost and Ren was, once again, alone with the remnants of Rey enveloping her mind. But that wasn't all she was left with. A quick swipe of her chest covered her fingers in the blood from Rey's injured hands. Stroking against it with her thumb, she wondered if she ever would be able to spill it herself.

* * *

With waves lapping at her feet, and wind blowing through her unkempt hair, Rey too stared at the red liquid that covered her hands. She ripped at her tunic to create enough bandaging to at least last until she could make it back to the ship.

Which would take a great deal longer now that she needed to trek back up the cliff.

"No time to waste," she said to herself, happy she was still able to say anything at all.

Thanks to Kylo Ren.

The infuriatingly confusing Kylo Ren.

"Why do I have to put a name to what's going on?" she grumbled as she stalked toward her staff, laying abandoned where it had fallen after her tumble. "I'm the compassionate one. I'm supposed to restrain myself from outright murder. She's the one who needs to figure out what her motivations are."

She grabbed the staff and stormed off toward the hill, trying to think through everything, but the more she did the more she didn't want to. The more difficult it became to believe herself the innocent girl who just wanted to save the galaxy. Deep down she knew that what she felt for Ren bordered on affection and attraction. Affection and attraction for a mass murderer. It was just so wrong. It made her wrong. She felt tainted and soiled by a desire she wished to abandon with all her might.

Part of her wondered if Ren was right. Obviously she wanted to destroy her because she was the leader of The First Order but Ren also shown a bright light on flaws of The Resistance's greatest hope. Rey needed to snuff out that light not only for the good of the galaxy but for the good of herself. Heroes didn't fall for villains.

Or at least they shouldn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I do realize it's risky to visit the market, Chewie, but I can't possibly eat another one of your synthetic protein meals again," Rey said as she loaded her containers into the shuttle. "I need real food that used to be running around if I'm going to continue running around all of these planets."

She grimaced and gently rubbed over the bandages on her palms. They were still tender from her slide down the cordon vine and, though their stop was mostly to fuel up, she was thankful for the needed break in routine. The Falcon was docked at a fueling station orbiting the market moon below and, as much as she might have been The First Order's main target, it was far easier for her to keep a low profile than a gargantuan Wookie with only one volume level when he spoke. Wrapping a shawl around her face, she finished prep for her trip down to the surface of the dark grey moon and gave one last reassuring look to her companion.

"Don't worry, I'll only be gone for a few hours," she said, stepping into the craft. "I don't think even I can get into too much trouble in that amount of time."

And, with that final and unfortunate boast, she closed the hatch and left her hairy copilot alone with his Porgs.

Men plan, God laughs.

* * *

A dark and patient gaze surveyed the landing zone from a nearby shop. It hadn't been hard to track the Millenium Falcon from its last position. The cordon vine had led them straight toward the tiny corner of the galaxy where few ever bothered to traverse. It was remote enough that Kylo Ren was certain Rey would need fuel sooner or later so she set up scouts at each station to look out for the dreadful ship that continued to elude her grasp. Then, finally, the scans turned something up. Everyone knew this mission was her highest priority so it took no time to arrange a contingency of Stormtroopers into place. They commandeered the near vacant shop and awaited the arrival of the Supreme Leader with just enough time to spare.

And then there she was. Rey, stepping out of that shuttle as if a simple piece of cloth might mask her identity from Ren's scrutinizing gaze. The very idea caused the right corner of her mouth to turn upward before she shook off the amused expression and addressed her troopers.

"Stay inside until you see my signal," she instructed, not even bothering to look back before exiting the shop in all of her fabulously cloaked glory.

There was a small crowd walking the streets outside but nothing so congested to allow her, or her target, to blend in very well. It wouldn't take long for Rey to notice her. She should already be able to feel her presence, but those feelings could be tricky. They could also foretell another one of their Force connections. That was likely what the young Jedi was hoping for as she quickly moved from group to group trying to look as if she belonged and failing fantastically. As much as she might wish it, she would never be so ordinary as the masses she found so much comfort in calling her own. Would they ever truly see her for what she was? Would they ever revel in her as much as Ren did?

Rey had to be starting to feel it build now; their connection. Her head was turning more and her eyes were darting. It took only a few seconds of focused observation for her gaze to finally land on the one person she most certainly did not wish to see. The panic that claimed her sharp features was immediate, just like the rapid footfalls that followed. Ren didn't let her get far before raising a hand to Force trip her steps, signaling the troopers to make their move.

"Jedi!" she called out, long and powerful strides carrying her closer to her conquest as chaos ensued all around them. "Surely you're not running from a fight only to leave these people to die."

As Rey looked back, Ren could see the realization, and then fear, start to register on her face as she looked past her. The masses were being rounded up and forced to their knees. Even if she was smart enough to try to make an escape, her legend wouldn't survive leaving an entire moon up to the mercy of The First Order. The Last Jedi would be the first coward of many and the hope of The Resistance would crumble.

But that wasn't why Rey would stay. It shown in her eyes even as she stood to face her greatest enemy. She stayed because she loved them. And, for all she knew, they were just like her worthless parents.

"So, this is what it's come to?" she asked, defiance present in her eyes and her voice that carried over to the crowd. "I'm unarmed, yet you're so afraid to fight me that you have to cower behind your cruelty?"

With nothing but a gesture of her gloved hand, Ren heard a soft shot go off behind her, followed by a chorus of screams that were soon silenced by the pounding of flesh. She wondered who it was that had just been made into an example. A shopkeeper? A patron? A child? The details were of no consequence. All that mattered was the unrelenting shock that shown, slack-jawed on the Jedi's face as tears rimmed her eyes.

"You were saying?" Ren asked as Rey's expression turned from terror to hate as soon as her eyes flickered back to her. "I'd be happy to continue this conversation here if you'd like. I'd say we have enough of an audience to last at least a good hour or two before your bravado falls on deaf… or, dead ears, as it were."

Her jaw clenched as it tried so obviously to hold back all of the words she knew she could not say. Her lip quivered with a rage that burned hot as the stars themselves yet she said nothing.

"Good girl," the words rolled seductively off of Ren's tongue as she drew closer. "Am I to assume you're ready to cooperate now?"

Rey's chest heaved as she struggled against her more violent impulses and her words had to work themselves through gritted teeth.

"And what would you have me do?"

It was at that point Ren did allow her lips the full range of expression they wished. And, as they smirked devilishly, she felt the exhilaration of her victory sweep through her body.

"First," she said slowly, enjoying the moment. "You're going to kneel before me."

* * *

There had not yet been words created to convey the power of Rey's anger in that moment.

Kneel before the woman who'd killed so many innocent people? Kneel before the woman who'd killed Han Solo? Kneel before the woman who would take from her the one thing she'd ever done that had truly meant something?

She wondered if blind rage strengthened The Force. If the burning hatred that coursed through her veins would be enough to somehow topple Ren and her forces. But, even if it was, she couldn't risk what it might do to the people around them. The Force was unpredictable even in the purest circumstances, there was no telling what kind of hell she might unleash if she poured all of her dark feelings into it then and there.

The worst part was that she couldn't even speak. She couldn't tell the people around her that she would find a way out of this. That good would somehow find a way to win. No, she couldn't do that and risk the life of another innocent person. It had been horrible enough to watch that poor old man shot dead on the streets, she couldn't imagine locking eyes with a child in their last moments.

There were no words.

There would be no hope.

There was only surrender.

Sinking to her knees, she focused only on Kylo Ren; Ren would be her focus for whatever brief existence she had left. Even if she died trying, Rey would do everything in her power to hurt the woman before her. And, if the only card she had to play was the affection she knew Ren held for her then so be it. She would acknowledge it, she would dive into it and she would shape it into a point so sharp that it would spill blood.

"You haven't always looked at me like this," Ren said, raising her hand and calling over a Stormtrooper holding a box big enough to hold a blaster.

She opened it and pulled out what looked like a dark green strip of metal fashioned into a circle. It split in half under her applied pressure as she walked closer then started to fasten it around Rey's neck.

"When I killed Snoke and spared your life, you looked at me with wonder and gratitude. As if I were your protector," she said, working on the device until it was secure around Rey's neck, still maintaining the closeness after she'd finished. "You think I don't know the anger you feel right now but I do. Only mine was compounded by years of love, mentorship and protection from the man I called Uncle. When Luke Skywalker tried to take my life, I wanted the entire galxy to burn right along with the rage inside me. And I have harnessed and refined that power ever since. You, however…"

Ren paused and raised a hand to brush some unruly hair away from Rey's eyes before continuing.

"Your path to The Dark Side is just beginning. A flicker in the face of the sun," she elaborated, before finally pulling back. "But this time I'm not taking any chances on your sparks catching fire again. That band around your neck binds your ability to use The Force. It is your collar. And you are now my pet. Once I break you, you'll tell me the location of The Resistance and then you'll watch me slaughter them all to the last."

After that Ren turned to face the crowd of terrified bystanders.

"Did you hear me?" she called out chillingly. "The Last Jedi has been captured! Your hero is gone and there is no one left to save you. All efforts to resist The First Order will be met with indiscriminate execution. Would anyone care to step up and try to save your one great hope now?"

Rey's head immediately shook as she looked out at the crowd, hoping against hope that no more blood would be shed in her name that day.

She needn't have worried. No one stepped forward. No one even dared move save Ren, who turned back toward her.

"Do you see that?" she asked. "You're going to suffer a great deal for them and not a single one will lift a finger to stop it. Perhaps one day you'll realize that the very lives you fight so hard to protect are of the same ilk that sold you off as a child, and you'll give them the hero they deserve."

A better person would have let the words pass right through their mind without a second thought. They would have acknowledged that they were a manipulation, meant to break her spirit and they would banish them to an exile where they could do no harm. But, as Rey was pulled to her feet by two of Ren's troopers, she couldn't help the slump of her shoulders and the ache in her heart. She couldn't even inspire enough hope to save herself. How could she ever have pulled together enough people to take down The First Order?

"Be sure to shoot down her ship," Ren said as she led the fallen hero through the crowd and to her new prison. "It's about damn time I wrecked father's ride."


End file.
